ok so I know I’ve been annoying and being a drama queen on the TL lately... but it’s taking so much of me to want to open up about this and share this w basically the entire internet.

I just want to clarify that
1. I’m not seeking sympathy or attention
2. I don’t think any church leader or specific church is to blame for this—it’s the flawed system and cultural influence on the church—in specific states. In this case, the southern diocese.

Again... I can’t exaggerate how much I don’t blame any leader or religious teachings, etc. I just think we should add to our curriculum and that it should be in the conversation. I’m not expecting church servants to be therapists, etc.

However I just want this subject to be brought into light and discussed among boys and girls as early as middle schoolers. It is important for Coptic kids to know our stance on the topic as well as be educated on it from trusted adults in our church.

As opposed to their friends who may be active and lack proper knowledge. Sex ed does NOT promote sex. It is simply for knowledge. It can also help the Coptic Churches outside of Egypt with the current issue that the youth is turning away from the church.

As mentioned before, I am an immigrant. Church has helped my family find comfort in God, but also created their social life, connections, etc. Church is our home away from the homeland. It should be able to welcome us in all ways possible. As we are ALL loved by God.

It is also important to understand the lifestyle of the typical immigrant—speaking from experience, myself and a lot of my friends’ parents weren’t always around due to work and/or barely got to spend time with their kids but would spend the weekends together and go to church.

So believe me when I say... church is the main foundation for a lot of families outside of Egypt and where they spend most of their time together. Not a lot of kids have the guts to ask their parents about sex or even if they do, they might get scolded for it.

Also what if they just feel awkward and uncomfortable and would rather speak to someone that’s closer to them in age—like servants at church. Again, I do understand why this topic is problematic, but we can no longer keep denying it when we live in a culture that hypersexualizes

everything. We cannot continue to beat around the bush and act like our peers and kids in church don’t have friends or even family members that are either sexually active and/or have been sexually assaulted. We have to discuss it to prevent slut shaming.

Boys and girls need to have the same talk as well. We need to crush the double standards in our culture as they have been proven to be harmful.

I cannot exaggerate how important it is for the church to have a stance on this. Also I’m VERY aware that each Western country and even state to state differs in lifestyle and opinion—that’s why I think every service should vary.

For example, I live in Nashville—there are a lot of newcomers here. So the approach would be different for us than a city with Americanized or more Westernized Egyptians in general.

Again I cannot exaggerate how I am in no way, shape, or form trying to disrespect the Coptic Church. I couldn’t be more proud of my ancestors.

also fun fact.. a lot of older Copts are raising us the way they were raised (more conservative) and enforcing the culture 100x more, when that culture is NO LONGER a thing in Egypt. I assume that they do it out of fear of losing the culture.

Egypt and the Coptic church have changed so much since the Revolution and are able to discuss these controversial topics. Please understand that we are behind even though we are living in countries that are more Westernized than Egypt.

TW: Graphic.
With all of that being said... I want to share my story with all of you. I kept it a secret for the longest and I just wanna do this for me and also for all the Coptic women who have suffered from something like this or something similar. TRIGGER WARNING!!!